Popular Dan Joe Holland's sudden death

SCORES around the county were postponed on Sunday last as a mark of respect to the late Dan Joe Holland. 

The popular Ovens man died suddenly on Friday evening week last whilst participating in a tournament contest at The Pike. News of his death sent shockwaves through the bowling community as he was, and has been over past decades, one of the game's most active and respected performers. 

A man of endearing qualities, courteous and considerate to all whom he encountered, Dan Joe espoused a great passion for bowl-playing whether attending a multitude of scores or taking on opponents from all quarters as he did willingly at countless venues throughout the county. It was on one such foray his untimely passing occurred on Friday last. 

Poignantly, it happened during a score against Jimmy Collins, a first-round fixture in a commemoration tournament dedicated to the late Fearghal Beamish, a young bowling man whose tragic death in a workplace accident just over two years ago also left the bowling world in mourning. 

Dan Joe was a man of genteel qualities but that relaxed, smiling exterior belied a finely competitive instinct and he had the laurels to show what a wonderful competitor he was. 

The veteran grade brought the best from Dan Joe. He won successive All-Ireland championships in the over-50 grade in 2005 and 2006, won the junior county in 2011 and contested finals in 2003 and 2008. In this sector, he won his regional championship on ten occasions. 

Dan Joe Holland was a leading name in Mid Cork junior bowling, a hard-beaten operator in a division that contained many leading players at the time. He won the prestigious regional junior A championship in Mid Cork in 2001 and 2002 and, indeed in the latter year, came within a whisker of claiming the county title, losing narrowly to City's Noel Gould in the decider at Caheragh. 

Ból Chumann extended its condolences to his wife, Bridie, and daughters Tríona and Sinéad, for whom the loss is greatest. His family interests always came first. 

He will also be sadly missed by his many friends and connections within the bowling fraternity, but he leaves too memories of an exceptional gentleman who devoted so much of his leisure time to the game he loved. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam dilis.